For the past two years, I’ve led operations for getting founders to SXSW in Austin, including sponsorship selection, housing, orientations, programming on the ground, coordinating efforts with a contractor and staff, tracking reimbursements, post-event follow-ups and social, and more.

Task:

Last year, the founders requested more time to prepare.

Action:

I tracked the badge transfer deadlines from May 2025 to December 2025, and kept it top of mind for the team to ensure we had applications and selections completed in plenty of time to avoid the $175 late transfer fee. In addition, I started the planning timeline a couple of months earlier, enforced deadlines, and drafted communications prior to the holiday break, so we could hit the ground running upon our return. We ran the comms, applications, selections, and logistics in January, and all of the travel logistics were complete by 1st week of Feb.

This also created time for me to curate a long list of SXSW-affiliated founder houses and events, to save the founders additional time searching for what is relevant to them. I curated these events and then compiled them into an information hub shared with the founders, that included all of the details, packing lists, to-do items, links, and more they will need.

Result:

This year, we are ahead of schedule by one month over last year. This year’s selected founders have ample time to set up strategic meetings and leverage the opportunity to grow their companies. They participated in the virtual orientation one month in advance, providing them with road-tested insights to prepare. One founder said, “I would have never known the scale of the event if I hadn’t come to this; I’m so glad you all hosted it.”